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Product benefits and deliverables only get you so far in word of mouth marketing. Maybe your stuff is boring, or, after a while, everyone already knows what you do or sell. Sometimes, what’s much more interesting isn’t what’s on the shelves, but the mission behind it — the intangible stuff that makes your company special.

Here are three ways to help people talk about the bigger picture:

1. Make an event everyone can participate in
2. Create customer service moments for noncustomers
3. Invest in causes that matter to you

1. Make an event everyone can participate in

It seems strange, but TOMS is getting more people to talk about their shoes by asking them to show their bare feet. The campaign called One Day Without Shoes raises awareness for the cause they support, bringing shoes to children without them abroad by getting people to go without shoes for a day. It makes it incredibly easy for people to feel like they’re a part of the brand’s mission, and gives them a conversation-starter with everyone they come into contact with.

2. Create customer service moments for noncustomers

Patagonia is big on creating clothes and gear that will last a lifetime. It’s part of their bigger goal to support conscious consumption and sustainability. To prove it, they sent some employees on the road in a mobile repair station to mend well-worn clothing — and not just Patagonia branded gear. The clothing menders are traveling to all 50 states fixing clothes and gear and teaching people how to do the easy stuff themselves. That commitment to both customers and noncustomers shows they care far more about their mission than getting more people to buy stuff.

3. Invest in causes that matter to you

One of the biggest dangers for cyclists is being invisible to other people on the road. So Volvo collaborated with startup Albedo100 to create a reflective spray called LifePaint. By day, the paint is invisible, but under the beam of headlights, it glows a bright white. The pilot program started with giving the paint away in select locations in London, and since it’s been so popular, they’re looking into selling it internationally. Why? Volvo has staked their reputation on being safe. But that doesn’t mean they have to stop at auto safety. By contributing to the safety of other people on the road, they prove a deeper, more remarkable commitment.

We Teach Word of Mouth Marketing.

Learn to be a great word of mouth marketer at WordofMouth.org. You’ll find free videos, articles, and case studies — all filled with practical, how-to advice to get more people talking about you. You’ll love our fantastic newsletter, amazing blog, and thrilling Word of Mouth Crash Course conference.

Be Great at WOM

Word of mouth is more than marketing, it's a way of doing business that will fundamentally change your company forever.

When you focus on earning the respect and recommendation of your customers, you can create a recession-proof advantage that will carry you through good times and bad.

So go for it. Dig around our blog, watch a few videos, download a worksheet -- and just try some stuff. It's that easy, and it's that fun. Get going. Have a blast. (And when something goes really well, let us know and we'll write about it.)

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Learn to be a great word of mouth marketer at WordofMouth.org.

It's full of practical, how-to advice to get word of mouth for your company, cause, or idea. You'll love our free videos, articles, case studies, and newsletters. You'll learn to get fans talking about you by earning their respect and recommendation.